Camping Trip 2013

This past weekend, the Loyola women’s lacrosse team spent time together and experience the great outdoors before our Fall Ball season began. After driving through the mountains, our team set up camp in the Manidokan campgrounds, just a few minutes drive away from the Potomac River. We were in charge of setting up our own tents, preparing dinner and starting a campfire. We then spent the first night laughing and playing games before an early rise the next morning for our whitewater rafting adventure. Once on the river, each person could decide whether to ride down in a raft with nine other people or brave the rapids alone in a one-person kayak. I chose to brave the rapids alone and had an amazing time laughing alongside my fellow teammates. Thankfully I didn’t fall into the river, but a few unlucky girls were knocked out of their kayaks when paddling through the rapids. Once we all dried off, we headed back to our campground to learn the correct way to rock climb. We learned how to belay, or hold the rope while someone was climbing, and we learned how to properly tie an 8-knot around our harnesses. Our down time before dinner was spent bonding and playing team building games. The next morning we went rock climbing together. We all were given harnesses, helmets and rock-climbing shoes. After walking through the forest, we came upon a huge rock wall and started climbing. It was so fun to see everyone outside of their comfort zone climbing up the rock wall. Even the girls who were afraid of heights got up the wall! Through the experience, we learned to trust our teammates who were holding our ropes, and to trust ourselves and believe that we could climb up the wall. This weekend as a team, we spent over 72 hours together, in three different states, bonding and forming even closer relationships with one another. I am so grateful to have the chance to get know my teammates off of the lacrosse field and create friendships and memories that I will never forget. - Molly Wolf '16